Tony's Secret Sister

Chapter Three

I double check the time on my phone, 5:35am. Perfect. After checking myself one more time in the mirror, I head over to the dresser where I grab a bobble before pulling my hair back into a tight ponytail at the back of my head. As my eyes fall to the mirror, my heart begins to pound in my chest.

"You can do this Abi." I whisper to myself as I force a smile and take a deep, deep breath. I grab my jacket from the back of the dining room chair and my keys from the dresser before I head for the door of the cottage Tony built near the compound.

A cool breeze knocks against my face as I step out the door, turning briefly to lock it before pulling my jacket over my shoulders as I shiver and head through the small woods towards the avengers compound. Birds whistle around me as I push open the back door of the compound and sneak inside, carefully closing the door behind me so it doesn't make a bang. That's why I sense it, the strange presence that hangs in the air. An electric pulse that sends shivers throughout my body.

"Morning Abi." greets Rhodey as he looks up from the newspaper he's reading. Jumping slightly, I turn to face him with my hands raised, completely prepared for someone to attack me only to find Rhodey frowning at me as he stands up from the wall he's leant against.

"Rhodey. You startled me." I reply quickly as I glance down the hall to check nobody else is around. Noticing a guard approaching around the corner, I quickly duck into the room opposite me leaving Rhodey alone outside as the guard comes to a halt outside the room.

"Colonel Rhodes." greets the guard as he bows his head to Rhodey who stands up straighter as he smiles weakly at the guard as he stands up. "If you may?" he gestures towards the door that I hide behind as Rhodey shuffles closer towards it causing the guard to eye him suspiciously. "I'm under strict orders to check every room on the premises." explains the guard as he stands up straighter in an attempt to look over Rhodey's shoulder and into the small window at the top of the door.

"Whose orders?" asks Rhodey as he moves his head so that I can no longer see outside the room I'm trapped in. Pressing my ear against the door, I strain to hear what the guard says as he mumbles something under his breath.

"The secretary sir." replies the guard as I stiffen up. Alexander Pierce? Why is he searching the compound? It's got nothing to do with him or SHIELD so why search it now? Quickly, I scan the room for some kind of escape before my eyes land on a guard uniform and helmet sat in the far corner of the room. "Please Colonel step aside." asks the guard again in a more firm voice as he tightens his grip on the baton he holds.

"Very well." agrees Rhodey reluctantly as he steps slightly to the side. Pushing past Rhodey, the guard grands the door handle and pulls it open as he steps into the room, his eyes instantly landing in me.

"All clear in here." I assure him, deepening my voice until it sounds completely different to my usual tone as I raise my hand to my head and stand in attention. Nodding once, the guard does a quick glance around the room before he steps back outside and continues down the hall.

Letting go if the breath I was holding in, I relax my shoulders as Rhodey bursts into the room, his eyes narrow as he opens his mouth to say something but quickly stops when he sees me.

"Did that really work?" asks Rhodey in disbelief as he points at the guards outfit I have on. Laughing to myself, I pull the helmet from my head as my hair falls to my shoulders.

"I guess SHIELD shouldn't boast about their security." I joke as I drop the helmet on the table before shrugging the guard jacket off and heading out the door with Rhodey.

After several minutes of walking, the two of us arrive at the training field to see the rest of the team already there. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone and notice that it reads 6:13am. How am I late? I literally set off 25 minutes early and yet I'm still late? Steve is so going to kill me.